First the prescription: If you're physically able, get out and talk to your neighbors, take part in a church function, or volunteer at a charity event. Instead of clicking the "Like" button on Facebook, respond to the post with a quick but personal message.

Why?

The use of technology is having an adverse effect: We're increasingly becoming a nation of very lonely people. In a decade, the number of lonely people, aged 45 or older, jumped 15 percent.

In the Atlantic Magazine, writer Stephen Marche looks specifically at how Facebook has increased loneliness. The long and short is that depending how you use technology, you can increase your likeliness of being lonely.

Make no mistake, loneliness is very, very bad for your health. But you can do something about it. (See paragraph one.)

Comments:

I go along with Jason on that. Moreover, Facebook really can provide at least a semblance of companionship to people, such as shut-ins, who don't have much contact with others and might desire that.

Most of the negative aspects of Facebook come from the people who are on Facebook. Right now I've got a lot of friends who are ruining it by posting almost nothing but supposed words of wisdom that people are apparently producing around the clock. Once in a while would be okay, but some of my friends are posting literally a dozen or more of these things a day. I find myself quickly scanning through the homepage and finding almost nothing worth reading.

They're taking away the personalization and human touch that actually existed on Facebook.

Posted By: Kevin V on April 26, 2012 11:40 PM

Facebook gets a bad rap. Facebook is not friendship; friendship is friendship. Facebook is electronic Starbucks. We do not expect Starbucks to be a cure for loneliness, only a place where we can mingle and enjoy being part of a crowd. Blaming facebook or starbucks for the fact that they do not fill needs they are not really designed to fill is like blaming silver for not being gold.